Typewriting machine



Patented Nov. 9, 1937 V I V UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFECE TYPEWRITINGMACHINE Carl Gabrielson and Edson George Moshier, Syracuse, N. Y.,assignors to L C Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., acorporation of New York' Application August so, 1935, Serial No. 38.5209 Claims. (01. 197-33) The invention relates to improvements intypelevers l1 are fulcrumed on a pivot member I8 writing machines andmore particularly to means carried by a support l9 fixed to the mainframe for regulating or adjusting the touch on the finger of themachine. Each sub-lever is connected to keys of the type actions of themachine. its associated key lever by a pull link 20. Each The inventionmakes provision for simultatype action is returned, after depression ofits 5 neously and uniformly adjusting or varying the key, by a helicalcontractile type action return touch of all of the type action keys andalso spring 2!, there being one of the springs 2| for makes provisionfor adjusting or varying the each type action, and said springs normallyholdtouch of each of the type action keys independing the front portionsof the key levers engaged l0 ently of the others. under a suitable stopbar 22 held to the machine 10 The invention provides simple, eflicientand frame. Each spring 2! extends upwardly from its easily operablemeans readily accessible to the associated key lever, the lower end ofthe spring typist for simultaneously and uniformly adjustbeing hooked ina suitable aperture near the rear ing or varying the normal tension ofall of the end of the key lever forward of the fulcrum of the typeaction return springs, and means for limitkey lever. The springs 2! arearranged in a 15 ing the range of adjustment of the tension of the.straight line or row transversely of the machine. return springs. Theimproved means whereby the normal ten- I To the foregoing and other endswhich will sion of the springs may be adjusted or varied to appear theinvention consists in the features of vary or regulate the touch of thetype action construction, arrangements of parts'and combikeys will nowbe described. Each of the springs 20 nations of elements set forth inthe following de- 2| is in ua y edlllstably anchored t its pscription ofpreferred illustrative embodiments of per end to an anchor device ortouch regulating the invention and particularly pointed out in thedevice in the form of a composite or two-part appended claims. platewhich extends transversely of the machine In the accompanying drawing, aabove the rear portions of the key levers and 5 Fig. 1 is a fragmentaryside elevation of a which is rockable up and down to simultaneouslytypewriting machine with certain parts broken and uniformly vary thenormal tension of all of away to better illustrate the improvements,only the p e an dev c 15 reguso much of the machine being shown as isneceslating dev as S p es a fr0nt bar 23 sary for a clear understandingof the invention; arranged in partly overlapped relation with a Fig. 2is a detail sectional view on the line rear bar 24, the overlappingportions of said two 2-2 of Fig, 3; bars being rigidly held together bya plurality of Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 33 WS 25 toform a eemposite -p P of Fig. 2; The rear bar 24 is journalled at itsends adjacent Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 44 its rearedge on t e i e nds of tWO bea 35 of Fi 1; d screws 26 (Fig. 4) tappedinto opposite sides of the Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of themain frame of the machine, the composite plate machine, with certainparts broken away, and or anchor device being thus supported to rock upshowing modified t ti and down in the main frame about a horizontal Thedrawing shows the invention embodied in a aXi-S eXtending transverselyof the machine. 40 known typewriting machine, namely the L C A series ofreturn-spring tension adjusting Smith machine, but may be embodied invarious screws 2 one f r each k y l v t nd ely other kinds oftypewriting machines to which the down through apertures (Fign t e frontimprovements are applicable. bar 23 of the anchor device, said aperturesbeing In the construction shown each type action arranged in a single OWsv y of e ma- 45 comprises a key lever l0 provided at its forward 7 e. eheads o Screws rest on the upper end with a finger key I l and fulcrumedat its face of bar 23 and the threaded shanks of the rear end on afulcrum bar l2 which is rigidly held screws are screwed into the upperend portionsof ,to'the main frame l3 of the machine. Each key thehelical return sp 2| t0 encher the Springs lever actuates its associatedone of the type at their upper ends to therockable anchor device 50'bars M, the type bars being pivotally mounted in 2324 adjac nt e on d eof the anchor dethe known manner on a suitable type bar segvice. Byscrewin a One Of t e Screws 2'! more ment l5 mounted in the machineframe. Each or less within the upper end of its companion type bar isconnected by a pull link I6 to the upspring 2|, the tension of thatspring may be vaf5 per end of an associated sub-lever H. The subriedindependently of all the other return springs. 5'

return springs will be simultaneously and uniformly decreased.

For rocking the anchor device up and down and holding it in desiredadjustably rocked position the following means are provided. An upwardlyextending rock arm 23 is fixed at its lower end to the right hand end ofbar 24 and is preferably provided at its upper end with an anti-frictionroller 33 journalled on a pivot stud 3| carried by the rock arm, saidpivot stud extending horizontally transversely of the machine. Ahorizontal shaft 32 extending transversely of the machine is journailedin the main frame l3 above the anchor device at the right hand side ofthe machine, said shaft extending through a standard forming part of theright hand side of the'machine frame. Fixed on the inner end of shaft 32is a cam 33 having a spiral periphery 33 to which the roller 3|] on arm29 is held by the pull of the return springs 2|. A finger wheel 34,preferably having a scalloped periphery as shown, is fixed on the outerend of shaft 32, where it is conveniently accessible to the typist forturning the plate cam 33 in either direction to cause the cam followerrock arm 29 to swing forward or rearward as desired to rock the anchordevice 232 3. Preferably the cam operating finger wheel 34 is providedwith indicating numerals such as 0 to 9 on its outer face and a suitableindicator or pointer 35 is fixed on the right hand side of the frame atthe outer side of the frame adjacent said wheel for cooperation with thenumbered face of the wheel.

The follower roller 33 on follower rock arm 29 contacts the campreferably in rear of the cam, and also moves in and out substantiallyradially of the cam axis so that the arm 29 will remain in any adjustedposition to which it is shifted by rotation of cam 33. Preferably alsocam 33 is provided with an outward extension or lobe 33 between the lowand high ends of its spiral rollerengaging peripheral surface 33 theopposite sides of which lobe 33 preferably are flared or curvedoutwardly away from each other to provide hooklike surfaces 33 at thehigh and low ends of surface 33 engageable with roller 33 to positivelyarrest rotation of the cam and positively limit rotation of the cam toless than one revolution. The cam is thus oscillatable between fixedlimits to rock the anchor device between predetermined fixed limits.

To decrease the effort required to actuate the cam and rock the anchordevice, and to reduce wear of the cam, means, preferably in the form ofa pair of counterbalancing springs 36, are provided for counterbalancingor counteracting the pull upon the anchor device 23-24 of the series ofreturn springs 2!. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the twocontractile helical springs 36 are anchored at their lower ends toopposite ends of bar 23 at the front corners of anchor device 23-24 andare anchored at their upper ends to the main frame l3 of the machine byhooking their upper ends through apertures in the frame. The pull of thepair of springs 36 does not exceed, and preferably is less than, theopposing pull of the series of return springs 2i In the constructionshown in Fig. 5 provision is made for adjusting the pull of springs 36by anchoring the upper ends of the springs 36 to the lower ends of apair of substantially vertically extending and adjustable spring anchorscrews 3'! extending loosely through apertures 38 in fixed parts of themain frame l3. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper ends of springs 36 arehooked through apertures in the lower ends of screws 31. Each screw 31has threaded thereon an adjusting nut 39. Said nuts 39 are held downagainst the frame by the pull of springs 36. By holding the screws '31against rotation and screwing the nuts 39 up and down the normal tensionof the springs 36 may be varied as desired. Except as just abovedescribed, the modified construction shown in Fig. 5 corresponds withthe construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

What we claim is:

1. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, typeactions supported in the main frame and each including a key leverfulcrumed in the main frame and a contractile helical return springanchored at one end thereof to the key lever, an anchor device having aseries of spring anchor screws extending therethrough and each threadedinto the other end of a different one of the return springs, said anchordevice extending transversely of the main frame and being supportedtherein for rocking of the anchor device about a horizontal axisextending transversely of the machine to vary the normal stress of thereturn springs, a cam follower rock arm fixed -to said anchor device, a

plate cam with the periphery of which said rock I arm coacts, ahorizontal shaft journalled in the main frame and extending transverselythereof, said cam being fixed on said shaft and said shaft extendingoutwardly from said cam to one side of the frame and having a fingerWheel fixed on its outer end.

2. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cam has aspiral peripheral surface coactive with the rock arm to rock the arm andhas between the high and low ends of said spiral surface alobe'extending outwardly relatively to the'axis of the cam, said lobebeing coactive with the rock arm to positively limit the extent ofrotation of the cam in both directions.

3. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame,key-operated type actions supported in the main frame, an anchor device,contractile type action return springs all connected at one end withsaid anchor device and each connected at the other end with a differentone of the type actions, said anchor device being pivotally supported inthe main frame for rocking thereof about a horizontal axis extendingtransversely of the frame to vary the normal stress of the springs, arock arm fixed at one end to the anchor device, a shaft journalled inthe frame and extending parallel to the pivotal axis of the anchordevice, a finger wheel fixed on said shaft, and a plate cam fixed onsaid shaft and coactive with the rock. arm to rock said arm.

4. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame,key-operated type actions supported in the main frame, an anchor device,contractile type action return springs all connected at one end withsaid anchor device and each connected at the other end with a differentone of the type actions, said anchor device being pivotally supported inthe main frame. for rocking thereof about a horizontal axis extendingtransversely of the frame to vary the normal stress of the springs, arock arm fixed at one end to the anchor device, a shaft journalled inthe frame and extending parallel to the pivotal axis of the anchordevice, a finger wheel fixed on said shaft, and a plate cam fixed onsaid shaft and coactive with the rock arm to rock said arm, andcontractile spring means connected with the frame and anchor device tooppose the pull of the type action return springs on the anchor device.

5. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actionshaving operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for saidactions, a shiftable device to which and to said actions the oppositeends of said set of springs are connected and which device is supportedfor shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformlyvary the lengths of the springs, a member supported to turn incontactive engagement with said device about a fixed axis and in a fixedplane, the contactive parts of said member and device being effective tohold said device in different shifted positions varied by the turning ofsaid member and to positively limit turning of said member in bothdirections about its axis, and a handle connected with said member forturning of the latter in opposite directions by the handle.

6. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actionshaving operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for saidactions, a shiftable device to which and to said actions the oppositeends of said set of springs are connected and which device is supportedfor shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformlyvary the lengths of the springs, a cam supported to turn in oppositedirections about a fixed axis and in a fixed plane and engaged with apart of said shiftable device to shift the latter into and hold itindifferent ones of its spring-length-varying positions against the pullof the return springs, said cam having means automatically engageablewith said part of said shiftable device to positively limit rotation ofthe cam in both directions about the cam axis, and a handle connectedwith said cam for turning of the cam in opposite directions by thehandle.

'7. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actionshaving operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for saidactions, a shiftable device to which and to said actions the oppositeends of said set of springs are connected and which device is supportedfor shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformlyvary the lengths of the springs, a key-touch control handle mounted forturning thereof in opposite directions in a fixed plane about a fixedaxis, and means oppositely rotative by said handle in contact with saiddevice and effective on the device to positively limit turning of thehandle in both directions about its axis and to hold said shiftabledevice stationary against the pull of the springs in different ones ofthe spring-length varying positions of said device.

8. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actionshaving operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for the typeactions, a shiftable device with which and the type actions the oppositeends of the return springs are connected and which device is supportedfor shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformlyvary the lengths of the return springs, a thrust member supported toturn in a fixed plane about a fixed axis and against which said deviceis constantly yieldably held abutted by the pull of the return springs,spring means constantly effective on said device to oppose the pull ofthe return springs on the device without causing separation of saiddevice and thrust member, and a handle connected with the thrust memberfor turning of said member in opposite directions about its. axis, saidthrust member being effective on said device to hold the latterstationary against the pull of the return springs in different springlength varying positions varied by turning of the thrust member by thehandle.

9. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actionshaving operating keys,

a set of contractile return springs for the type actions, a shiftabledevice with which and the type actions the opposite ends of the returnsprings are connected and which device is supported for shiftingmovement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformly vary thelengths of the return springs, a thrust member supported to turn in afixed plane about a fixed axis and against which said device isconstantly yieldably held abutted by the pull of the return springs,spring means constantly effective on said device to oppose the pull ofthe return springs on the device without causing separation of saiddevice and thrust member, said thrust member being effective on saiddevice to hold the device in different spring length varying positionsvaried by turning of the thrust member about its axis, said device beingeffective on the thrust member to positively lirnit turning of thethrust member in both directions about the axis of said member, and anoperating handle connected with the thrust member for turning of themember in opposite directions about its axis by opposite turnings of thehandle.

CARL GABRIELSON. EDSON GEORGE. MOSHIER.

